Sky Sports or BT Sports? SHOCK study shows why a good TV deal is so important

Deciding whether to pay for that extra Sports package on your telly deal can sometimes be a difficult decision. However, that choice might have just got a whole lot easier for some Premier League supporting teams this week.

That's because a new study released this week has analysed the cost of watching your team at both home and at the pub.

The team at www.broadbandchoices.co.uk conducted a poll of more than 1,000 British Premier League Football fans in a bid to uncover the true cost of following each Premier League football team depending on where in the country fans live, and how they choose to watch it.

When asked how often they watched their team’s televised matches, more than a quarter (26 per cent) stated ‘every match’, with a further 38 per cent claiming they watched ‘almost every match’.

In terms of the most likely places where matches tend to be watched, 87 per cent of fans said they did so at home, with 41 per cent watching games from the pub and 24 per cent enjoying games from a friend’s home.

Pub VS TV League Table

Should you watch the game at home on the TV or in your local pub?

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Of those who watched games from home, the average amount of money spent on drinks, food and broadband/ TV package costs per game emerged as £19.20 across the UK, with the typical amount spent during a match viewed at the pub (again, on food and drinks) was revealed to be £30.00.

Researchers were also able to delve even further into the average amount spent by fans of each Premier League Football team, to see how the amount of money spent during matches at the pub and at home could differentiate depending on club supported.

Taking these specific team-based findings, as well as the number of televised matches so far this season for each club into account, the cost of a football season ticket to the pub was calculated, in order to compare the price difference of watching each game from home.

You'll find the full breakdown in the gallery above.

However, we can say confidently that the most expensive team to watch at the pub was found to be Arsenal, whose fans have been able to watch 18 televised matches since August, costing fans watching in the pub (roughly) £595, but home viewers just £385 to date.

By comparison, Watford fans who’ve been to the pub to watch all 5 televised games this season would’ve spent £165.50, and just £107.00 from home.

“If you can’t physically get to the game then there is no denying that a Saturday afternoon spent at the pub watching the football with friends can feel like the next best thing," said Vix Leyton, consumer expert at broadbandchoices.co.uk.

"But when you consider that some of the top flight teams have had up 17 or 18 games televised so far, your season ticket to the pub could end up costing you a small fortune.

“Taking a few breaks from the bar to watch matches from your sofa can have benefits beyond always having the best seat in the house. By applying a good strategy to getting the best broadband and TV deal you can make sure you have all the sports and commentary at your fingertips for the lowest price, even when the 90 minutes is up.

"Plus getting your mates around and chipping in for drinks and food can unlock enough to kit yourself out in the new strip ready for next season – or for that last minute, impulse trip to the finals.”

The research shows why getting a good deal on your equivalent Sky Sports or BT Sport package is even more important today than any other time.

Last week we showed you how existing Sky customers could save over £180 on a Sports package.

Not with Sky? Well if you head over to www.broadbandchoices.co.uk you'll also find a selection of the best sports deals currently available through with such companies as Sky, BT, Talk Talk and Virgin Media.

Previously Martin Lewis, The Money Saving Expert, had also offered some advice for anyone wanting to save money on their digital TV services, such as Sky, Virgin or Talk Talk.

“How much you may be paying for your digital TV varies greatly, as deals tend to be customised to customers.

"On average if you’re paying anything between £350-£1,000/year, you can easily bust this down and save between £200 - £400/year."